Ahhh, I don't think Dai will perform badly at the rest of end of year comps unless he has injury problems. He is known to step up to the plate and be strong under pressure. I just don't think his programs are as magical as they were last season, but that doesn't mean they are completely horrible.

Machida has performed well on the GP, BUT he does not have a strong quad, and Oda is simply not a well-rounded skater artistically no matter how much the judges love his jumping ability. For that reason, and because Hanyu and Dai are defending World medalists, I tend to think that the third Japanese spot will be a battle between Machida, Kozuka and Oda. But I believe Kozuka and Machida might have the edge somewhat over Oda (because they are both better than Oda in terms of presentation skills, IMO). As you can see, Mura, IMO will likely not factor in this season in terms of going to Worlds. I'd be very surprised if Mura or Oda were sent over Dai. Machida and Kozuka might have more of a case, but still Dai has more experience and charisma, as well as a bigger following internationally.